You didn’t see me today, but I was at City Hall for the Chicago City Council meeting.  You couldn’t have seen me, because I was not allowed in – nor were any members of the general public.  Maybe in your eyes this made the meeting run more smoothly.  In my eyes, it was a travesty.

For as long as I can remember, I have heard those in your generation and older bemoaning how the young people in this country are uninformed and apathetic about politics, particularly at the local level.  I am in the demographic that supposedly does not vote, does not know their elected representatives, does not read legislation, and certainly does not attend City Hall meetings.

Except that I do vote – in every election, big or small.  I know my elected representatives by sight and by name.  I read ordinances and other legislation that is up for a vote and contact my representatives with questions and concerns.  And now, this week, I showed up at City Hall to sit in on some meetings.  I never expected that when I wanted to engage in the political process this way – personally – I would be turned away.

You didn’t see me today, but you may have heard me.  I was one of the people outside the City Council chambers chanting, “Let us in!  Let us in!  We vote no!”

Here’s the funny thing: I came to City Hall today to observe, not to protest.  After contacting my alderman (Silverstein – 50^th ward) and attending yesterday’s committee meeting, I learned details of the amendments made to your proposed ordinance changes.  In the past 24 hours, I went from strongly objecting to your proposal to only having a few relatively minor concerns with the new ordinances.  So while I do consider myself a member of Occupy Chicago and gladly joined up with them before the meeting, I wasn’t there to protest the ordinance changes.  I assumed they would pass, and I was more or less okay with that.

Why did I show up?  I was there to be involved in the process.  To report on the meeting via social media for those who were concerned but could not attend in person.

For a mayor who champions “transparency,” it seems odd that the exact language of the proposed ordinances as they were to be voted on was not made easily accessible to the public.  Your denial to let me and other members of the public witness the passing of these ordinances today also concerned and upset me.  It changed me from a mere observer to an active protester, simply because I get a bad taste in my mouth when supposedly open meetings have no room for the people who will be affected by what is decided in them.

The people you kept out of that meeting were teachers and nurses, students and union workers, taxpayers and voters.  They deserve better, and they will continue to demand it.

You probably weren’t aware, but we held a general assembly right outside the Council chambers after the ordinances passed.  If you thought shutting us out of one meeting about a couple of ordinances would make us give up and go home, you were very, very wrong.  We are committed more than ever to being seen and heard, and taking our rightful place in the democratic process.

Expect us.  We are the people.  We are united.  The Occupation is not leaving.

Sincerely,

A Constituent

This video is posted on the Occupy Providence Facebook page, that can be reached here.

Much of the recent protests is like a trip back in time to the spirit of the 60′s when direct action and organized protest changed the national debate. But 40 years on there is one huge difference.

Information is liberated, distributed and free. Every time Occupy Providence gathers there are cell phones and cameras recording and streaming in real time. You can go to the Occupy Providence page and see direct, unmediated video.

In the 1970′s we used to chant, ‘The Whole World is Watching’. Today that is true exponentially.

“Going in and forcibly removing the protestors in the dead of night sends the wrong message.  City Hall should have continued to talk with the protestors in the light of day if it wanted them removed, instead of evicting them in the middle of the night,” Mr. Liu, who presumably would have preferred a daytime eviction, said in a statement. “There seems to be no compelling reason for this action at this time. The protestors have a right to be heard.”

The cold light of day hasn’t been too kind to Mr. Liu of late: federal investigators are looking into his murky campaign finances after a New York Times investigation revealed multiple fundraising irregularities.

Ventura City Hall 

Please join us! Meet us at City Hall!

We are all in this TOGETHER!

We need your input.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28
Video from Friday’s March  http://youtu.be/8MLaI_ctwzM

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30
10 am Planning Meeting
11 am — Jay Leiderman calling into Free (Freak) Radio/Santa Cruz to talk abou the occupation. http://www.freakradio.org
Marches at 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm
1 pm — A nurse’s perspective on health care
2 pm — Jay Leiderman — Gives talk on legal aspects of Occupy Movement
3 pm — Legal Committee Meeting
5 pm — General Assembly Meeting (GA) *Facilitator —Richie